diff --git a/build/make.linux64.lib.py b/build/make.linux64.lib.py
index f043572..1b0dce6 100644
--- a/build/make.linux64.lib.py
+++ b/build/make.linux64.lib.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ builddir = "./build_linux64"
 doinstall = True   #copies the build_output to the install dir when finished
 cc = "g++" #compiler
 cflags = "-fPIC"
-libraries = "-l{} -lamscimglib4.linux64".format(libname)
+libraries = "-l{} -lamscimglib4.linux64 -lpthread".format(libname)
 libdirs = "-L{} -L{}/lib -L{}/lib".format(builddir,commondir,depdir)
 linkerflags = "-static-libgcc -Wl,-rpath=."
 srcexts = [".c",".cpp"]
diff --git a/build/make.mingw64.lib.py b/build/make.mingw64.lib.py
index ba72a81..5d59868 100644
--- a/build/make.mingw64.lib.py
+++ b/build/make.mingw64.lib.py
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@ builddir = "./build_mingw64"
 doinstall = True   #copies the build_output to the install dir when finished
 cc = "x86_64-w64-mingw32-g++" #compiler
 cflags = "-fPIC -O3"
-libraries = "-l{} -lamscimglib4.winx64".format(libname)
+libraries = "-l{} -lamscimglib4.winx64 -lpthread".format(libname)
 libdirs = "-L{} -L{}/lib -L{}/lib".format(builddir,commondir,depdir)
-linkerflags = "-static-libgcc -static-libstdc++ -Wl,-rpath=."
+linkerflags = "--static -static-libgcc -static-libstdc++ -Wl,-rpath=."
 srcexts = [".c",".cpp"]
 binsrc = ["main.c","main.cpp"] #ignore these files when compiling the static library
 
diff --git a/build/make.mingw64.test.py b/build/make.mingw64.test.py
index 0ae463e..bd0ef51 100644
--- a/build/make.mingw64.test.py
+++ b/build/make.mingw64.test.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ cc = "x86_64-w64-mingw32-g++" #compiler
 cflags = "-fPIC -O3"
 libraries = "-l{} -lamscimglib4.winx64".format(libname)
 libdirs = "-L{} -L{}/lib -L{}/lib".format(builddir,commondir,depdir)
-linkerflags = "-static-libgcc -static-libstdc++ -Wl,-rpath=."
+linkerflags = "--static -static-libgcc -static-libstdc++ -Wl,-rpath=."
 srcexts = [".c",".cpp"]
 binsrc = ["main.c","main.cpp"] #ignore these files when compiling the static library
 
diff --git a/build_linux64/libamscppimglib4.linux64.a b/build_linux64/libamscppimglib4.linux64.a
index 6fda86b..b3c2a34 100644
Binary files a/build_linux64/libamscppimglib4.linux64.a and b/build_linux64/libamscppimglib4.linux64.a differ
diff --git a/build_linux64/objstore/amscppimglib4_amsbitplane.o b/build_linux64/objstore/amscppimglib4_amsbitplane.o
index 35e0749..c184851 100644
Binary files a/build_linux64/objstore/amscppimglib4_amsbitplane.o and b/build_linux64/objstore/amscppimglib4_amsbitplane.o differ
diff --git a/build_linux64/objstore/amscppimglib4_amsimage.o b/build_linux64/objstore/amscppimglib4_amsimage.o
index e3e8991..b127693 100644
Binary files a/build_linux64/objstore/amscppimglib4_amsimage.o and b/build_linux64/objstore/amscppimglib4_amsimage.o differ
diff --git a/build_linux64/objstore/amscppimglib4_amspixel.o b/build_linux64/objstore/amscppimglib4_amspixel.o
index d448041..214b296 100644
Binary files a/build_linux64/objstore/amscppimglib4_amspixel.o and b/build_linux64/objstore/amscppimglib4_amspixel.o differ
diff --git a/build_linux64/objstore/amscppimglib4_intlutil.o b/build_linux64/objstore/amscppimglib4_intlutil.o
index f499330..6f9dba3 100644
Binary files a/build_linux64/objstore/amscppimglib4_intlutil.o and b/build_linux64/objstore/amscppimglib4_intlutil.o differ
diff --git a/build_linux64/objstore/amscppimglib4_template.o b/build_linux64/objstore/amscppimglib4_template.o
index 8791256..938b43b 100644
Binary files a/build_linux64/objstore/amscppimglib4_template.o and b/build_linux64/objstore/amscppimglib4_template.o differ
diff --git a/build_linux64/objstore/amscppimglib4_tests.o b/build_linux64/objstore/amscppimglib4_tests.o
index dbd48b9..48af647 100644
Binary files a/build_linux64/objstore/amscppimglib4_tests.o and b/build_linux64/objstore/amscppimglib4_tests.o differ
diff --git a/build_linux64/tests b/build_linux64/tests
index da5cbbb..d2c15ac 100644
Binary files a/build_linux64/tests and b/build_linux64/tests differ
diff --git a/build_mingw64/libamscppimglib4.mingw64.a b/build_mingw64/libamscppimglib4.mingw64.a
index dd0be5b..26da879 100644
Binary files a/build_mingw64/libamscppimglib4.mingw64.a and b/build_mingw64/libamscppimglib4.mingw64.a differ
diff --git a/build_mingw64/objstore/amscppimglib4_amsbitplane.o b/build_mingw64/objstore/amscppimglib4_amsbitplane.o
index ca1ebae..ad7deb9 100644
Binary files a/build_mingw64/objstore/amscppimglib4_amsbitplane.o and b/build_mingw64/objstore/amscppimglib4_amsbitplane.o differ
diff --git a/build_mingw64/objstore/amscppimglib4_amsimage.o b/build_mingw64/objstore/amscppimglib4_amsimage.o
index 5089bf8..e2951a3 100644
Binary files a/build_mingw64/objstore/amscppimglib4_amsimage.o and b/build_mingw64/objstore/amscppimglib4_amsimage.o differ
diff --git a/build_mingw64/objstore/amscppimglib4_amspixel.o b/build_mingw64/objstore/amscppimglib4_amspixel.o
index 0ce4dd6..7979226 100644
Binary files a/build_mingw64/objstore/amscppimglib4_amspixel.o and b/build_mingw64/objstore/amscppimglib4_amspixel.o differ
diff --git a/build_mingw64/objstore/amscppimglib4_intlutil.o b/build_mingw64/objstore/amscppimglib4_intlutil.o
index d7eedd6..8549f8d 100644
Binary files a/build_mingw64/objstore/amscppimglib4_intlutil.o and b/build_mingw64/objstore/amscppimglib4_intlutil.o differ
diff --git a/build_mingw64/objstore/amscppimglib4_template.o b/build_mingw64/objstore/amscppimglib4_template.o
index cf14878..04c7917 100644
Binary files a/build_mingw64/objstore/amscppimglib4_template.o and b/build_mingw64/objstore/amscppimglib4_template.o differ
diff --git a/build_mingw64/objstore/amscppimglib4_tests.o b/build_mingw64/objstore/amscppimglib4_tests.o
index c270647..1cdfb89 100644
Binary files a/build_mingw64/objstore/amscppimglib4_tests.o and b/build_mingw64/objstore/amscppimglib4_tests.o differ
diff --git a/build_mingw64/tests.exe b/build_mingw64/tests.exe
index 761c24c..44529d8 100644
Binary files a/build_mingw64/tests.exe and b/build_mingw64/tests.exe differ
diff --git a/src/amscppimglib4/amscppimglib4_amsimage.cpp b/src/amscppimglib4/amscppimglib4_amsimage.cpp
index 98feec7..7c44a7e 100644
--- a/src/amscppimglib4/amscppimglib4_amsimage.cpp
+++ b/src/amscppimglib4/amscppimglib4_amsimage.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #include <amscppimglib4/amscppimglib4.hpp>
 #include <amscppimglib4/amscppimglib4_intlutil.hpp>
+#include <amscimglib4/amscimglib4.h>
 
 namespace ams
 {
@@ -458,4 +459,86 @@ namespace ams
         return data[Nc + 4*(I + Nx*J)];
     }
 
+
+    int read_image(const char *fname, amsimage* image)
+    {
+        int ret = amsimage_success;
+        int res;
+        amscimglib4_image *im2 = NULL;
+
+        if(image==NULL)
+        {
+            ret = amsimage_failure;
+            printf("read_image: Error: image pointer is null.\n");
+            return ret;
+        }
+
+        res = amscimglib4_image_new(&im2,1,1);
+        if(res!=amscimglib4_success)
+        {
+            ret = amsimage_failure;
+            printf("read_image: Error: c image struct failed to allocate.\n");
+            return ret;
+        }
+
+        amscimglib4_readimage(fname,im2);
+        //you can NOT move buffers. The im2 buffers are created with malloc, not new. No pseudo-move-semantics for you!
+
+        //copy buffers
+        res =  image->resize(im2->sizex,im2->sizey);
+        if(res!=amsimage_success)
+        {
+            ret = amsimage_failure;
+            amscimglib4_image_delete(&im2);
+            printf("read_image: Error: c++ image failed to allocate.\n");
+            return ret;
+        }
+
+        //both structures have the same memory layout, so the internal copy function works
+        imglib4::amsimage_region_copy(
+            image->data,image->Nx,image->Ny,
+            im2->data,im2->sizex,im2->sizey,
+            0,0
+        );
+
+
+        amscimglib4_image_delete(&im2);
+
+        return ret;
+    }
+
+    int write_image(const char *fname, amsimage* image)
+    {
+        int ret = amsimage_success;
+        int res;
+        amscimglib4_image *im2 = NULL;
+
+        if(image==NULL)
+        {
+            ret = amsimage_failure;
+            printf("write_image: Error: image pointer is null.\n");
+            return ret;
+        }
+
+        res = amscimglib4_image_new(&im2,image->Nx,image->Ny);
+        if(res!=amscimglib4_success)
+        {
+            ret = amsimage_failure;
+            printf("write_image: Error: c image struct failed to allocate.\n");
+            return ret;
+        }
+
+        //both structures have the same memory layout, so the internal copy function works
+        imglib4::amsimage_region_copy(
+            im2->data,im2->sizex,im2->sizey,
+            image->data,image->Nx,image->Ny,
+            0,0
+        );
+
+        amscimglib4_writeimage(fname,im2);
+
+        amscimglib4_image_delete(&im2);
+        return ret;
+    }
+
 };
\ No newline at end of file